The National Air and Space Museum commemorates the history of flight and educates and inspires people through its collections, exhibitions, research, and programs related to aviation, space flight, and planetary studies.

This medal was part of the Elmer A. Sperry Award given on December 2, 1970 by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers to recognize the work of Dr. Charles Stark Draper. Created in 1955 by the son and daughter of Dr. Elmer A. Sperry (1860-1930) to commemorate their father's life and achievements, the award is presented annually to honor distinguished engineering contributions to the art of transportation. Dr. Draper received it for his work in the field of inertial guidance systems and their successful application to commercial air navigation. In recognition of the strong team of researchers that Dr. Draper fostered, the 1970 Sperry Award recognized both Dr. Draper as an individual and his colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Instrumentation Laboratory as a group. Dr. Draper donated a collection of his awards, including this medal, to the National Collection in 1974.

This medal was part of the Elmer A. Sperry Award given on December 2, 1970 by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers to recognize the work of Dr. Charles Stark Draper. Created in 1955 by the son and daughter of Dr. Elmer A. Sperry (1860-1930) to commemorate their father's life and achievements, the award is presented annually to honor distinguished engineering contributions to the art of transportation. Dr. Draper received it for his work in the field of inertial guidance systems and their successful application to commercial air navigation. In recognition of the strong team of researchers that Dr. Draper fostered, the 1970 Sperry Award recognized both Dr. Draper as an individual and his colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Instrumentation Laboratory as a group. Dr. Draper donated a collection of his awards, including this medal, to the National Collection in 1974.

Gift of Dr. Charles S. Draper

Country of Origin

United States of America

Type

AWARDS-Medals & Ribbons

Materials

Metal

Dimensions

3-D: 1.3 x 7.6cm (1/2 x 3 in.)

ID: A19800568000

Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.